I dont think anyone here will admit to it, so I will assume you'll post under the guise of "a friend of mine" but has anyone got this or know of anyone who had this installed and used it? What was it like? Has it disappeared now that the person who was distributing it been caught?

I dont think anyone here will admit to it, so I will assume you'll post under the guise of "a friend of mine" but has anyone got this or know of anyone who had this installed and used it? What was it like? Has it disappeared now that the person who was distributing it been caught?

A forensics report compiled by analyst Craig Wright allegedly found that the set-top box was a "standard embedded PC system" that used peer-to-peer video streaming service Vatata to grab content from a server in China

So not much more than uTube. Seems the only outcome so far from this Global Piracy Bust is one arrest (he's just a reseller). As the server is in China its presumably safe from Oz police. Considering clients are paying more than what Foxtel charges it would be likely a number of customers wouldn't realise its illegal.

Curious that it was a Chinese organization that instigated the investigation - I was of the impression that the Chinese were culturally neutral about copyright protection.

If you're a Chinese "content provider" perhaps you might think differently? Pretty pejorative language in the article: "that hired a private investigator to dig up dirt" - couldn't they just said to investigate?

Curious that it was a Chinese organization that instigated the investigation - I was of the impression that the Chinese were culturally neutral about copyright protection.

As Peter said, they are a company trying to sell their own legal pay-tv wares here in Australia (seen their 'stall' in Box Hill Central here in Melbourne) so it makes sense they would go after something like this

It's all smoke and mirrors,, The guy in Hurstville hasn't been charged with anything . He's been released pending further inquiries.
And nothing been confiscated or removed for further inspection. And they can't take anything without first laying charges.

Don't confuse this case with the one in Western Australia a few years ago. This doesn't involve an Australia provider, or relate to a Card sharing operation.

I would assume that this 1000 channel service [cough,cough ] is accessed via a computer download, from an overseas source.
If that is the case then no crime has been committed, he's simply cashing in on whats probably a low budget or free download, and there's
dozens of those out there if you take the time to look. But it goes without saying a fast internet connection will be needed.

It's all smoke and mirrors,, The guy in Hurstville hasn't been charged with anything . He's been released pending further inquiries.And nothing been confiscated or removed for further inspection. And they can't take anything without first laying charges.

Don't confuse this case with the one in Western Australia a few years ago. This doesn't involve an Australia provider, or relate to a Card sharing operation.

I would assume that this 1000 channel service [cough,cough ] is accessed via a computer download, from an overseas source. If that is the case then no crime has been committed, he's simply cashing in on whats probably a low budget or free download, and there's dozens of those out there if you take the time to look. But it goes without saying a fast internet connection will be needed.

You would have to think that considering he was asking for an ongoing fee per month for the service, and you'd assume some of his clients would be computer illiterate, then he would be offering more than just a simple service - perhaps some kind of buffering service (servers and mutliple network connections probably) to handle the load

You would have to think that considering he was asking for an ongoing fee per month for the service, and you'd assume some of his clients would be computer illiterate, then he would be offering more than just a simple service - perhaps some kind of buffering service (servers and mutliple network connections probably) to handle the load

From what I can see, its basically a glorified uTube streaming service. Programs are all copied and then stored on Chinese servers. He's basically made a cheap HTPC that runs software connecting it to the Chinese servers. Yes a decent download speed and allowance would be needed but otherwise it would look like any other STB etc.

On the raid itself, it all seems pretty dodgy. I get the impression some cop has called in a favour with some police writers to big note nothing much (sounds good to use words like raid, international, 150 million, etc.). Perhaps the investigator called in a favour? As the article says, the warrant appears to have been executed on selling Foxtel access cards (which sounds like a sideline this business might be in).

From what I can see, its basically a glorified uTube streaming service. Programs are all copied and then stored on Chinese servers. He's basically made a cheap HTPC that runs software connecting it to the Chinese servers. Yes a decent download speed and allowance would be needed but otherwise it would look like any other STB etc.

On the raid itself, it all seems pretty dodgy. I get the impression some cop has called in a favour with some police writers to big note nothing much (sounds good to use words like raid, international, 150 million, etc.). Perhaps the investigator called in a favour? As the article says, the warrant appears to have been executed on selling Foxtel access cards (which sounds like a sideline this business might be in).

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Didnt realise you could still sell Foxtel access cards... would these be for Dreamboxes?

Didnt realise you could still sell Foxtel access cards... would these be for Dreamboxes?

No idea. The article just said the warrant related to "allegedly selling cable television decoders". Its possible the definition of "decoder" was stretched to mean "device that can download a video saved on the internet that was recorded from a legitimate cable TV box".

Although its been a seriously like time since I looked, it wouldn't at all surprise me to see irdeto (ie Austar) ECMs et al still appearing on Foxtel's cable service.

Austar still run their cable service in Darwin, right? However, doesnt help Sydney people.

Didnt irdeto "die" with analogue? Fox have always been NDS on digital AFAIK, so wouldnt it seem odd to run both??

However, I know you can pick up the Foxtel service (not talking about the channels, but the actual service) on Optus cable if you connect a Foxtel IQ and smartcard into an Optus connection... although I dont know what difference that makes (if any)

Foxtel using irdeto did effectively stop when the digital campaign started but Austar is still very much an irdeto outfit. Apart from a few cable specific bits of SI etc its the same service on sat and cable. Foxtel used to simply not bother going the extra yard to remove Austar related irdeto info from the cable transport streams and it wouldn't surprise me if its still there. davmel will probably pop up in the near future and comment since he tends to keep an eye on this stuff.

This Hurstville case has nothing to do with any Australian pay TV providers. It's simply an internet generated service, with an add on server receiver
connected to your internet router. This is possibly where the $90.00 fee comes in. And also what the local Plod are refering to, when they talk about STB's
The internet connection would be the same as you would add a PS3, to your network. As for the 1000 [supposed] channels offered. I would think very
few are English language. They would be mostly be Chinese and Indian.

In the eastern states you would be flat out accessing 1000 channels on the C-band network, be they encrypted or FTA. Regardless of your satellite dish array.

The chances are the guy was dobbed in by an irate customer who didn't have the download speeds required to access the system. But given all the
Hoop-La, it all makes a good story, I think you will find the guy will not be charged with anything, as he's accessed an overseas server, and it has nothing
to do with any Australian system. The simply facts are the laws simply haven't caught up with today's technology. And it will all simply go away and die,
without a whisper from the media.

There is no differences between this and anyone downloading a movie or a Playstation game from Pirate bay [based in Romania] or Kickar*e Torrent,
except this is on a slightly bigger scale. And someones trying to extract a quid, from Jo Public.

Foxtel using irdeto did effectively stop when the digital campaign started

Foxy are still using a paralleled NDS Irdeto 2 service. The digital campaign ploy was only an attempt at highlighting there service and increasing the fees. The pay satellite service have always been digital since day one.

Foxy are still using a paralleled NDS Irdeto 2 service. The digital campaign ploy was only an attempt at highlighting there service and increasing the fees. The pay satellite service have always been digital since day one.

Satellite yes, but cable no - only digital since 04. And the article mentions "cable" boxes which we think is just a passing reference to pay-tv and nothing else

Foxy are still using a paralleled NDS Irdeto 2 service. The digital campaign ploy was only an attempt at highlighting there service and increasing the fees. The pay satellite service have always been digital since day one.

I'd be surprised if Foxtel still has irdeto ECMs etc floating around of its own generation. Its been some time since I've paid any attention but I can't see any reason why Foxtel would keep simulcrypting with irdeto (ie, paying for it) given how long its been since Foxtel took up with NDS. Of course, irdeto is still there, for Austar. If davmel ever makes an appearance I'm sure things will be clarified. That or I'll dig out ye-olde style DVB-s card and have a look.

I'd be surprised if Foxtel still has irdeto ECMs etc floating around of its own generation. Its been some time since I've paid any attention but I can't see any reason why Foxtel would keep simulcrypting with irdeto (ie, paying for it) given how long its been since Foxtel took up with NDS. Of course, irdeto is still there, for Austar. If davmel ever makes an appearance I'm sure things will be clarified. That or I'll dig out ye-olde style DVB-s card and have a look.

Foxy still have provider receivers out there with Irdeto capability, Strangely enough not everyone's satellite receiver has been changed over to NDSThere simply waiting for the old receivers to ether fall over, or changed when people request a new one.

It costs them no more to run a parallele system , they simply double up on the satellite transponders. They don't need to rent separate transponders.

Of course they don't rent more space anyone with half a clue knows that, but there's money involved of that there can be no doubt. Foxtel doesn't get access to Irdeto crypto systems for free. How much? No idea, but $100,000 buys quite a few receivers...

Not sure what there is to say. As with the other bust it all seems written to try big note a pretty minor event - Might as well have been the Australian arm of the local swap meet global network of fake asian DVDs.